Posted on 02/08/2006 5:09:49 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
February 8, 2006 - 08:00
It wouldn't have been more than a couple years ago that had headlines invoked Britney Spears in a "lap" controversy, images of graphic goings-on in the Champagne Lounge might have come to mind.
But time marches on, and Britney-the-new-mother is now caught in a lap-gate of an altogether different sort, after photos of her were snapped driving her car with her four-month old son in her lap rather than secured in a car seat. In the latest development, according to this LA Times article, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy went to her Malibu home on Tuesday "to collect information for child welfare investigators" in connection with the matter. For the record, Spears says she was feeling hounded by paparazzi and drove off with the baby in her lap to escape them.
The morning shows worked themselves into a collective lather over the horror of it all, with the sentiment best summed up by CBS Early Show co-host Rene Syler, who, interviewing a child safety expert, emoted: "every time we look at that picture, it's just so, so scary."
Pluh-eese. Sure, kids should be strapped in a car seat in the back. But just a generation or so ago, an image of a parent tooling around with junior in her lap might have evoked cooing sounds from the person sitting in Syler's chair. The Andy Griffith Show meets Leave it to Beaver.
But today, in our therapeutic society, Britney's gaffe, if that's what it is, merited national news coverage. At one point at the beginning of the 7:30 AM half-hour, ABC, NBC and CBS were simultaneously airing a segment on the matter.
In a world where every day untold numbers of terrorists are plotting to kill as many men, women, and yes, little children as possible, where are the MSM's priorities?
Reputedly.
She is a twit to risk the little kids life like that, especially the way those paparazzi like to weave and chase her through traffic, one little oops and BAM!
Man, I remember as a kid standing up in the front seat of my mothers car as we were going down the road.
That's nothing. I remember riding on the running board of my Dad's low-50s vinatage pickup. This would have been late 1960s. Couldn't get away with that now.
I don't give a damn who it is.
A dumb cow.
P.S. I'm NOOOOOOOO britspears fan!!!!!! I just get tired of the laws.
P.P.S. Car seats are a good idea...I just think this isn't the crime of the century. It's not as though she dangled her child over a cliff.
Puff Mama..
Sorry, but Britney deserves the scorn. Back in the Leave It To Beaver years airbags didn't deploy upon mere fender benders, which would have instantly killed Britney's baby. And since paparazzi foolishly chase and crash into celebraties these days, Britney proved she's not only a dumb blonde but a very stupid mother.
Sad thing is, this sort of thing happens across the USA. I know the older folks out there will say "heck, I dont know how I survived all this time not beng buckled as a baby". I understand where you are coming from but strictly from a statistical standpoint, many children did indeed die from being unbuckled or being held by a parent in a passenger seat (or the drivers seat in this case).
There are cases where kids have died as a result of being strapped in a car while it was on fire but that is the exception to a rule that has proven itself. Don't listen to Aunt Bessie who proclaims to know better than the statistics that prove her wrong.
If anything, Britany did as huge service to the cause of child safety for buckling them up correctly and making sure their safety trumps your comfort, even if it did endanger her child (poor thing...ugh).
To many times have I heard stories of parents thinking they can hold their baby better than a car seat. To many times have I heard parents screaming of inconveniences of putting a child in a car seat and how time consuming it is. They are wrong, holding your baby in a crash is equal to holding a 300-400 lbs bag of sugar while bungy jumping. Good luck holding on.
The guilt of knowing better but still not following through on the general principal of a parent taking all measures to protect your child in an automobile in the name of convenience has to be beyond all understanding. But the guilt is well deserved.
I always battle with myself over seatbelt laws for adults in cars but for children, there is no alternative. Telling your kids what to eat or how to act is totally different than telling you that you must use a safety harness on your children to maximize chances of a positive result in a negative event such as a crash. Doing less is nothing short of child endangerment.
You may disagree with me but millions of children no longer among us who was not afforded the same precautionary measures and have gotten the raw end of the deal would stand in opposition to you.
Mind you im not calling anyone bad parents. At worst Im calling out ignorance on the subject and I beg you to read up on information that details the results of crash at even 25-30 mph to a child without proper restraint.
I couldnt look at another picture of my child and not feel like I killed them if they were killed as a result of my negligence of not taking their safety seriously enough on even the shortest trip to the store of school.
People need to start pulling back on the "rules"
This Nanny state bullcrap has gone too far. THAT is my point.
If you don't like what the woman did, that is YOUR problem.
This country used to be about Freedom. Now it's about what can we do next to interfere with other's lives.
If it was good enough for our fathers and grandfathers. Why isn't it good enough now?
One drop at a time. That is how you lose your freedom. It doesn't come all at once and 90% of the people in this country are too GD stupid to realize that.
I knew a grandad years ago who did this with a baby grandson in a full car. When I tried to warn them of the dangers, they believed that in an accident he would just hold on to the baby. Of course, in any significant accident that would be impossible.
She deserves scorn for alot more, but minding your own business is something alot more of us need to start doing. Then we need to start making the Politicians do the same.
True - what has this country come to? Seat belt nazis, anti-smoking nazis, offensive speech nazis - people have far too much time on their hands. How many times have you heard some twit (who was stiking his/her nose in someone else's business) describes as a community activist?
We had some a$$hole woman around here (Atlanta) last year stepping out in front of cars to assert "pedestrian rights" or some silly thing like that since legally pedestrians have the right of way except at intersections controlled by traffic lights - I guess she got mad because someone wouldn't slam on their brakes to let her j-walk
Probably a South Park Republican.
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